In a photoresist process as one of the manufacturing processes of a semiconductor device, a resist pattern is formed by coating a resist on a surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a “wafer”) and by exposing and then developing the resist in a specified pattern. This processing is usually performed by a system in which an exposing apparatus is connected to a coating/developing apparatus for coating and developing a resist. A variety of liquid processing apparatuses for supplying processing liquid such as resist liquid and developing liquid to a wafer are built in the coating/developing apparatus.
In the related art, there is available a coating/developing apparatus in which a coating process unit block for performing a coating process of chemical solution such as a resist and a developing process unit block for performing a developing process are stacked one above another. A developing unit such as a liquid processing unit is installed in the developing process unit block. In the developing unit, for example, three developing process sections are arranged side by side along a wafer transfer region. Developing nozzles for supplying the developing liquid are respectively installed in the developing process sections. The developing nozzles are arranged in a parallel relationship with the developing process sections along an arrangement direction of the developing process sections in a parallel relationship with the developing process sections. The developing nozzles are configured to move in the arrangement direction of the developing process sections.
A study was conducted to further increase a size of the wafer size from 300 mm to 450 mm. In the study, the developing process sections became larger in conformity with the size of the wafer. In the configuration in which the developing process sections and the developing nozzles are arranged side by side along the arrangement direction as set forth above, spaces corresponding to the installation spaces of the developing nozzles are needed in the arrangement direction. For that reason, a length of the apparatus in the arrangement direction becomes larger, leading to an increase in the size of the apparatus. When a plurality of nozzles are installed with respect to one developing process section, spaces are additionally needed in the arrangement direction. Further, the moving distance of a nozzle disposed apart from the developing process section becomes longer. This may lead to a prolonged processing time and a reduced throughput. When the number of liquid processing apparatuses is increased in order to enhance the throughput, not only spaces for the liquid processing apparatuses but installation spaces for the developing nozzles are needed. Thus, the apparatus become considerably large in size. Moreover, when the length in the arrangement direction is increased and the wafer transfer region is extended, a longer time may be taken in transferring the wafer, thus deteriorating the throughput.
In the related art, there is also available a configuration in which a plurality of nozzle support arms are provided in one liquid processing apparatus. The nozzle support arms are arranged so that longitudinal axes of the arms may be located in different circumferential positions of the liquid processing apparatus. Thus, the nozzle support arms move toward or away from the wafer without interfering with one another. A plurality of liquid processing apparatuses are provided side by side along a wafer transfer region. The nozzle support arms are configured to move forward and backward in an arrangement direction of the liquid processing apparatuses. According to this configuration, when the liquid processing apparatuses becomes larger as the diameter of the wafer increases, the nozzle support arm needs to be lengthened in conformity with the size of the wafer. Thus, the length of the apparatus in the arrangement direction increases as much as the liquid processing apparatuses becomes larger and the nozzle support arm is lengthened. In addition, in order to increase the number of the liquid processing apparatuses, installation spaces corresponding to the lengths of the nozzle support arms are needed, thus increasing the size of the apparatus considerably.